The food here is terrible, and the portions are too small.
Woody Allen
20 minutes... that's how long it takes for your brain to realise you're full! 20 minutes... Being a human hoover and loving my grub I can honestly say there have been many times when the button on my jeans have been in danger of taking someones eye out! Tonight's class was all about portion control...
It's all well and good polishing your halo and giving yourself a pat on the back when you've had the healthiest dinner ever.. but when you hop on the scales and you don't get the loss you thought you would .. hand on heart.. did you really have 3 PP worth of mash or was it more like 5 at a glance...
Sadly its really simple... over eat and you're overweight... and knowing you're portion sizes is the key. Sometimes it's best to go back to basics and weigh everything out, both cooked and raw .... When I feel like I'm being heavy handed I weigh out individual portions of rice and pasta and put them in freezer bags so I know exactly what I'm eating... and once you've done this a few times you will be able to measure by eye... but its an exercise that you need to do if you feel like you're eating correctly but not getting the results you deserve.
And remember you're only fooling yourself! If you want results then you'll do what's best for your body!
Remember we eat with our eyes so here's some of our leaders top tips!
1. Eat slowlyEnjoy your meal. Its not a race. Give your body time to give you the signal that you are satisfied.
2. Forget what your mother said!You don’t have to clean your plate and always try to have some room in your appetite at the end of a meal. Just because the restaurant gave you that portion size doesn't mean you HAVE to eat it all!
3. Use a smaller plateMost people use a large dinner plate, which means usually too much food. To encourage smaller portions, try using a smaller dinner plate instead of a large plate and remember this applies to men, women and children.
4. Fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables or saladTry not to fill your plate with potatoes, rice or pasta - these should only make up about one quarter of the food on your plate. For example, one serving of pasta = 3 dessertspoons/2 tablespoons.
5. Eat a piece of raw fruit before lunch and dinnerThis will help you to eat a little less, as well as helping you on your way to having 5-a-day of fruit and vegetables. If you have a small bowl of fat-free vegetable soup before meals, you can achieve the same thing.
6. Never eat until you feel fullYou will stop feeling hungry long before you feel full - it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register it is full. ‘Filling’ your stomach means you are eating too much. Always leave some room in your stomach at the end of a meal. If you are forcing yourself to finish, you are eating too much.
7. Choose snacks that are packaged in individual portionsThese can stop you from eating large portions from bigger packs. These are also great for lunches. You know exactly how many ProPoints you've had throughout the day.
8. Eat just one large meal every dayIf you’re having a large meal at lunch then think of it as your main meal and have a smaller portion in the evening. Likewise, if you know you’re going out for a meal in the evening choose something smaller at lunch. Try to balance your portion sizes throughout the day
9. Know when to miniaturize it!Go for ‘small’ food portions at the cinema or in a fast-food restaurant. These are normally still generous portions.
